1. Field of the Disclosure
The present invention relates generally to electrophotographic printers and more particularly to a toner cartridge having a shutter with bypassing actuation.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to reduce the premature replacement of components traditionally housed within a toner cartridge for an image forming device, toner cartridge manufacturers have begun to separate components having a longer life from those having a shorter life into separate replaceable units. Relatively longer life components such as a developer roll, a toner adder roll and a doctor blade are positioned in one replaceable unit (a developer unit). The image forming device's toner supply, which is consumed relatively quickly in comparison with the components housed in the developer unit, is provided in a reservoir in a separate replaceable unit in the form of a toner cartridge that mates with the developer unit. In this configuration, the number of components housed in the toner cartridge is reduced in comparison with traditional toner cartridges.
Image forming devices having a separate toner cartridge and developer unit are susceptible to leakage of toner between an outlet port of the toner cartridge and an inlet port of the developer unit. Toner leakage is most frequently experienced when the toner cartridge is separated from the developer unit and removed from the image forming device. When this occurs, handling, moving or shipping of the image forming device may cause toner to escape from the inlet port of the developer unit. Further, image forming devices having a separate toner cartridge and developer unit present an additional concern. If the developer unit is not present when the toner cartridge is installed in the image forming device, any toner exiting the cartridge will leak into the interior of the image forming device because the developer unit is not there to receive it. Leaked toner may contaminate both internal and external surfaces of the image forming device resulting in not only uncleanliness but, in some cases, reliability issues or print defects. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that a mechanism that prevents the unwanted release of toner is desired.